ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. — Roane County's mayor is stopping short of issuing a mask mandate, but is recommending them as the county responds to an alarming growth in positive COVID-19 cases and deaths.
Mayor Ron Woody provided an update on the situation in the county Wednesday on Facebook. So far, there have been
"Roane County was fortunate in the early months to have fewer cases and deaths as most of the counties reported, but lately we have caught up and passed most of our peer counties," he said.
Woody said the 20% of the 168 people tested Tuesday tested positive for COVID-19 in the county. 2,052 total cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the county, and 385 of those are still active and able to spread the virus.
"If you are quarantine, please stay in quarantine and do not expose the rest of the population," he said. "Those who have been exposed, please stay away from the general public."
So far, the county has reported 17 COVID-19 deaths, with three of those deaths reported Tuesday. That's roughly 32 deaths per 100,000 in total. Since the start of the pandemic, Tennessee has seen 4,048 deaths -- roughly 59 deaths per 100,000. To put this into perspective, Tennessee typically sees an estimated 21 deaths per 100,000 every year to flu and pneumonia.
The mayor said he will not be signing a provision for mask enforcement, but said people in the county should wear them to prevent themselves from potentially spreading the virus to other people.
"Please wear a face covering while in public. What we've stressed is that folks do the right thing. Wear your face covering. I've got it every week. Says it's just a diaper, we should never have it. The diaper's for protection. Call it what you want, we should protect each other," he said.